Introduction

In Cheryl Kaye Tardif's heart-wrenching Whale Song, haunting native legends merge with the modern world as two cultures collide, and a young woman struggles with long-forgotten memories of her mother's suicide.

Thirteen years ago, Sarah Richardson's life was shattered when her mother committed suicide. The shocking tragedy left a grief-stricken teen-aged Sarah with partial amnesia.

Some things are easier to forget.

But now a familiar voice from her past sends Sarah, a talented mid-twenties ad exec, back to her past. A past that she had thought was long buried.

Some things are meant to be buried.

Torn by nightmares and visions of a yellow-eyed wolf, yet aided by the creatures of the Earth and by the killer whales that call to her in the night, Sarah must face her fears and uncover the truth?even if it destroys her.

Some things are meant to be remembered?at all cost.

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Excerpt

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Discussion Questions

Spoiler Warning: The following book club discussion questions on Whale Song reveal important details from the novel. You should finish reading it before continuing. Schools and pre-teen book clubs may decide to overlook question #10 as it deals with a controversial issue--assisted death.
1. Whale Song is very much a story about love and relationships. What are the different types of love described? How does Sarah’s love for her parents change throughout the years? How does her love for Goldie and Nana change? How does her love for Adam change?
2. Sarah’s relationships with her new best friend Goldie and Goldie’s grandmother Nana is one that many can relate to. Have you ever had a best friend like Goldie, one from a different culture? If so, how did that affect your life? What do you like about Nana? Have you ever had a mentor like Nana?
3. The legends that Sarah hears from Nana are important to the novel. Why? What do they add? If they were deleted from the novel, would the story have the same effect? Which legend resonates the most with you and your life? Do you think the messages in these legends are applicable for people today?
4. Other than the legends, did you learn anything else about west coast natives and their cultures? What interesting facts about killer whales did you learn that you weren’t aware of before? Have you ever gone whale watching? Do you want to go?
5. Sarah begins to see a wolf early on in the novel. What or who does the wolf represent? Why does it become so important in the story?
6. Sarah is bullied by Annie in school. Have you ever been bullied? How did that make you feel? Have you ever bullied someone else? Why? What kinds of bullying are there nowadays? How can we as a society (or school) prevent bullying?
7. There is much racial tension between Annie and Sarah. Why does Annie act the way she does? How does Sarah’s mother help diffuse this situation? What do we learn about her mother?
8. Sarah becomes friends with Annie shortly after rescuing her from drowning. What changes, and why? What made Annie’s life so difficult? Do you think that this story depicts the “normal” life for a young native child in that era? Why does Sarah have such a difficult time understanding Annie’s behavior? Have you ever befriended someone who came from a troubled home? How did that impact your life?

Weblinks

»	Cheryl Kaye Tardif novels
»	Whale Song Book Web Site
»	Reviews of Whale Song
»	The Suspense is Killing Me! Blog by Chery Kaye Tardif
»	Follow Cheryl on Twitter

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